Sevmek Zamanı unfolds the intellectual world and inner life of Metin Erksan, for whom cinema was a practice of culture, art, and philosophical inquiry. Pioneering in form, radical in vision, and marked by striking originality, the film remained misunderstood and unrecognised by critics in its time. Deeply engaged in politics from an early age, Erksan’s filmmaking was shaped by an ongoing struggle with censorship. His fiercely independent stance brought him into conflict with the state, critics, and entrenched power structures within the industry; Sevmek Zamanı belongs to this landscape. The film tells the story of a house painter who falls in love with the owner of the mansion after seeing only her portrait. My connection to this film is deeply personal. After stepping away from filmmaking, Metin Erksan began teaching at Mimar Sinan University in Istanbul, where I first met him as his student. Later, I worked as his assistant for 13 years, until his death. What remains vivid in my memory is his strong black coffee during breaks, his thunderous laughter echoing through the corridors, and the unease he inspired in those who took cinema lightly.

Beneath it all lay a heart deeply attuned to the subtleties of the world. He was a creator, an artist, a thinker, and a public intellectual – an organiser engaged in labour struggles, an institution builder, and an educator. In Turkish cinema, Erksan was also pioneer in many respects: a film critic with a regular column in daily newspapers; the director of the first Turkish film to win a major international award (the 1964 Berlinale Golden Bear for Dry Summer); and among the founders of the Turkish Film Archive, to which Sevmek Zamanı was one of the first film negatives donated. We approached this restoration with full respect for Erksan’s artistic intentions, personal wishes, and the spirit of its time. Sevmek Zamanı was his most intimate film, and it continues to hold a singular place for us. It is an honour to bring this long-misunderstood work to new audiences.

Zeynep Özlem Havuzlu